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Best gaming headphones for ~100 euro bucks

Hey all, i am currently looking to buy a good gaming headset so i am doing my net research.
I've spent some time reading guides and reviews on sites such as Tom'shardware, user reviews on Amazon and some other random sites i found on Google, but i am still not quite sure about my choices.

What i am looking for is something that does surround. I play quite a few online shooters and i figured having real surround sound would change the game experience a fair bit. The headset should also be comfortable, since gaming sessions can easily stretch over 2 hours straight. Sound quality is kind of not worth mentioning i guess, when shopping for a sound device. Lastly, my budget is about 100 euros, so sadly the sennheiser awesomeness is mostly off limits.

Now my first major doubt is - does surround actually work with headphones? I mean really work, like a decent home cinema 5.1 system does?

Then secondly, what to chose? There are quite a few options out there, with every major gaming gear or sound gear manufacturer offering some sort of a device that supposedly answers to my criteria.

According to a couple of reviews, the Logitech G35 are the best overall considering prices and quality. However, most of the reviews i found are kind of old, like a couple of years old, so i am not sure if they are still of importance. Also, i haven't seen much info on the Steelseries 5H (or 7H, the more expensive version).
Lastly, some of these headphones come with an "USB soundcard" - what's this all about? Could such a device provide better sound than standard MB integrated sound? Doesn't it consume too much power for an USB port to sustain properly?

I am mostly looking for personal experience based opinions, so if anyone has used/owns such headphones please share your experience.

Heres a thing about "headsets" the mic is stuck to your face like Madonna in a concert and you'll be breathing all over the damn thing, It'll either be tiny and pointless or it will get in the way, when you inevitably trip over your headset it'll all be gone down the toilet.

Desk mics are just better for me., guess if you were a heavy lanner you might feel different, but if you are sat next to your teammates do you really need a mic?

Edit: adressing your concerns, avoid USB sound cards unless you have read excellent reviews, they are mostly a good idea for listening to music on terrible sound cards (if you get fizzing and crackling on your current sound card its likely EM interference, usb processing will be shielded and mostly powered by your CPU. )

Edit 2: biaural surround sound is all bollocks, TBH most of the magic of surround sound is when your head is not centred, most blockbusters have your head track things so that the sound will catch you out "lampshading" the effect, but on headphones clamped to your skull? that will never happen.

Check this thread over on head-fi. That should give you an idea. I'm aware that there are a lot of headphone recommendations which are far more expensive, but there should be a few headphones within your budget as well.

Edit: Too expand on the previous a little. It might be nice to have some more info on a few things. Like whether you want an open or closed headphone, whether you would like circumaural or supra-aural (over the ears or on the ears).

Some other tips/ info:

Dont' look at measurements done by the company themselves. They're likely not correct or displayed in a way that is very misleading. If you're going to look at measurements at all check out something like headroom. At least theirs are acurate.

Try headphone before buying them if at all possible. Some headphone are very uncomfortable for some people. People also tend to hear things differntly. You might think a headphone sounds very harsh (too much high frequency) while someone else might perceive that as being detailed or bright.

5.1 headphones are pretty much a gimmick. You would be better of with a proper 2.0 headphone in almost every case.

Headphone which provide their own USB DAC and amp could possibly be good, but I can't think of one that actually is. If it would be any good it would also have to be significantly more expensive than the most things that are out there.

And last but by no means least: Buy a headphone made by an audio company instead of by a gaming company. I don't know of any headphones made by gaming companies which I would call good.

Siberia steel series. Expensive, but decent sound and robust build quality. Present set well over 2 years old now and going strong. Firm thumbs up.

Why yes you're right I'm deliciously evil
Tradition is the tyranny of dead men
Steam:Kadayi Origin: Kadayi
Their early work was a little too new wave for my tastes....The Conclave beckons ... PM for details

If you have a Sound Blaster brand sound card its EAX effects do a very nice job of stereo surround with and without 2.0 headphones. It's so precise that in the old Call of Duty games I could hear a mortar falling (skreeeeerrrr) and actually turn my camera to directly face the explosion moments before it would happen. Having owned many headphones and soundcards my opinion is that this is mostly a function of the sound card. EAX is becoming much less prevalent and I find even triple-A custom sound systems (like the Source and Unreal engines) to be inferior to the precision of EAX's stereo surround.

I have the Pioneer SE-M390 cans. I use them for gaming, listening to music, and DJ monitoring although they're not ideal for the latter. They have very nice range and powerful warm bass. The ear cups are carpeted and are supremely comfortable - I never ever fatigue from wearing these and my ears are very sensitive to this. They have a single wire on one side and a nice long cable so I have it routed around the back of my to keep it out of the way. No mic, though. I think they ran me $80 Canadian.

I tried some carpeted Razor brand headphones at the local tech shop which had a built-in mic but they weren't quite as bassy or comfy as my Pioneers. 50% more expensive too.

Siberia steel series. Expensive, but decent sound and robust build quality. Present set well over 2 years old now and going strong. Firm thumbs up.

Steelseries headsets are bad in my opinion.

I would agree with 7hink that gaming brands aren't known for quality headphones/headsets. And I don't just mean in terms of some uber-hifi sound quality, but also just build quality and comfort. Had a Steelseries headset that nearly squeezed the life out of my ears (even though it was circumaural and I'm no Dumbo), and then it crapped out with a loose wire somewhere. Save me, Sennheiser! And I lived happily ever after.

I would agree with 7hink that gaming brands aren't known for quality headphones/headsets. And I don't just mean in terms of some uber-hifi sound quality, but also just build quality and comfort. Had a Steelseries headset that nearly squeezed the life out of my ears (even though it was circumaural and I'm no Dumbo), and then it crapped out with a loose wire somewhere. Save me, Sennheiser! And I lived happily ever after.

My steelseries H5 lasted me for almost 3 years before crapping out and didn't vicegrip my skull.
I had a 130 euro sehneisser headset 4 years ago and after only 2 weeks the cable snagged once (not hard, the steelseries went through far more abuse) and the soldering already let go and it was broken.

I have a 12 year old phillips heaphone and it's still working perfectly with no sign of wear.

ALL gaming headsets are a scam, they are made to break so you buy a new one.
This isn't some conspiracy theory crap, it's a well known and well documented fact about products being made disposable, goes from light bulbs to nylon stockings to cars and washing machines and printers that have counter chips.

Gaming headsets have a sales pitch based on style and gaming, traditional headphones are (were) pitched as something you buy to last for life, just like good old 3 way standalone speakers were renowned for lasting 20+ years and that was part of the sales pitch.

If you want to dismiss the docu, at least watch it first, it's not opinions based on making their own conclusions (like most media) ,they are well documented facts.

It's true that most electronics aren't made to last these days and can't be made that way if they're going to be sold for a certain price. However, all the headphones I own right now have been going strong for several years. That said. I still need to replace certain parts of them every once in a while. That's one of the things that you get with headphones. No matter how expensive or robust, certain parts of them are going to fail. Think about things like earpads and headbands. Drivers can still last a very long time depending on your use/ abuse.

One of the things that makes more expensive headphones worth it is that most of them have a modular design. If a cables fails, I can get just a new cable instead of buying a completly new headphone. It probably is still cheaper to get several cheaper headphones though.

Mileage may vary. If you want better sound then you're likely better off getting a proper audio headset, but if you want a gaming headset (where you don't have to dick around) I'd say the Siberia's are a good choice. I've been through a good dozen or so headsets over the years (some last months, some might last a year). my assessment is made on the basis of cost Vs likely lifespan. Do the Siberias grip? yes. Not as much as the Fatal1ties do (damn uncomfortable headset tbh). However like a boot eventually they wear to your head. Cables going is one of things you can't mitigate for tbh. The Siberias have a detachable extension cord which alleviate a certain amount of risk though.

Last edited by Kadayi; 24-07-2012 at 06:59 PM.

Why yes you're right I'm deliciously evil
Tradition is the tyranny of dead men
Steam:Kadayi Origin: Kadayi
Their early work was a little too new wave for my tastes....The Conclave beckons ... PM for details

I imagine most people here aren't aware of what nice headphones these are (I've owned an HD650 and 2003 DT880). Gaming buyers always tend to go for surround and gaming headsets, and it's pretty hard to convince them not to, so I don't try. The best advise one can give is to check head-fi. I'm partial to Audio-Technica for gaming. Used a W2002 for a long time, and then switched to a W1000x. I like a spacious sound with decent isolation (fan noise, yuck) and comfort that keeps on giving.

Edit: Of course, I bought these headphones for music and just happened to still have them when I started playing more games. They would make absurd recommendations for gaming headphones. My point is that there are tons of great options for all budgets that are not gaming-specific and not surround; rather than mention what I think they might be, I'd simply point to a headphone-centric hivemind.

It's true that most electronics aren't made to last these days and can't be made that way if they're going to be sold for a certain price. However, all the headphones I own right now have been going strong for several years. That said. I still need to replace certain parts of them every once in a while. That's one of the things that you get with headphones. No matter how expensive or robust, certain parts of them are going to fail. Think about things like earpads and headbands. Drivers can still last a very long time depending on your use/ abuse.

One of the things that makes more expensive headphones worth it is that most of them have a modular design. If a cables fails, I can get just a new cable instead of buying a completly new headphone. It probably is still cheaper to get several cheaper headphones though.

Yes but those are headphones, not headsets:p key difference.
As I said in my rant, headsets are a totally different market, aimed at kids and students, they are built to break and squeeze every euro out of people's pockets.

Headphones (quality ones of respectable make) are still aimed at more old fashioned users who want their shit to last for many, many years.

I was trying to say the argument about which headset is best is moot as one should look for some good headphones, not overly expensive poor build quality headsets.

Just as another bit of info. You can just get a modmic and stick it on pretty much any headphone you would like. I don't own one myself so I can't vouch for the quality of it, but I've heard pretty good things about it. Another option would be to go for something like the logitech microphone which a few of my friends use. Those also work quite well.

For actual headsets the only ones I can truly recommend (from personal experience) are the Beyerdynamic MMX300 and the Sennheiser PC360. Those are far above the OPs budget though.

Now my first major doubt is - does surround actually work with headphones? I mean really work, like a decent home cinema 5.1 system does?

Then secondly, what to chose? There are quite a few options out there, with every major gaming gear or sound gear manufacturer offering some sort of a device that supposedly answers to my criteria.

As others have said, avoid at all costs the ones which have millions of speakers, the faux surround sound a standard stereo headset when combined with a good sound card is perfectly capable of giving you the direction component you're looking for with regards to gaming.

As someone who down the ages has owned 2 sets of Zalman 5.1s, 2 sets of Medusas and another 5.1 headset I can't remember the name of - they aint worth it. You'll be much happier with a set that can push out a decent amount of bass.

That being said if it wasn't already obvious, headsets are just so subjective you'll really want to try them.

In terms of value to performance the 2 best headsets I've ever owned were some Technics I picked up for £20 in Dixons as a student, and a set of Logitech headphones I got for a similar price.

I've been bitterly disappointed with the 5.1 ones I mentioned above as well as a fair few generic sets as well as the creative Fatality ones which were utterly awful and felt like someone was drilling into my brain while squishing my ears tight.

However I do have a freakishly shaped head which means all headphones/sets are periodically very painful for me to wear. My quest to find the perfect set eventually took me to the Sennheiser PC350s and the Beyerdynamic MMX300s both of which I can thoroughly recommend but which are sadly out of your price bracket.

And I can usually go comfortably for a 6 hour gaming session with the above

Originally Posted by Heliocentric

Nice quality Hifi headphones designed for comfort with 16-24k range or better and a decent desk mic.

Heres a thing about "headsets" the mic is stuck to your face like Madonna in a concert and you'll be breathing all over the damn thing, It'll either be tiny and pointless or it will get in the way, when you inevitably trip over your headset it'll all be gone down the toilet.

As someone who has been forced to sit on Mumble / TS with people who have voice activated desk mics all I'll say in NO NO NO!. If you're a push to talk guy then go for it, or if you don't use voice comms very often then again I agree with Heliocentric that you'll likely get a much better set of headphones for your money and a desk mic will be ok

Originally Posted by 7hink

5.1 headphones are pretty much a gimmick. You would be better of with a proper 2.0 headphone in almost every case.

Headphone which provide their own USB DAC and amp could possibly be good, but I can't think of one that actually is. If it would be any good it would also have to be significantly more expensive than the most things that are out there.

And last but by no means least: Buy a headphone made by an audio company instead of by a gaming company. I don't know of any headphones made by gaming companies which I would call good.

As above, I heartily agree to avoid 5.1s.

In terms of USB amps my only experience was the medusas which got HORRIFIC interference from mobile phones (in other rooms no less), so I'd avoid.

And agree with the advice on going with a headphone company, certainly if you're purchasing without testing - although as mentioned above I got on really well with a set of £20 logitechs which I bought in desperation when I grew so frustrated with my search for a decent set.

Please please stay away from Razer - one of the worst crimes to be inflicted upon gamers over the last decade has been their continued existence.

Originally Posted by Kadayi

Do the Siberias grip? yes. Not as much as the Fatal1ties do (damn uncomfortable headset tbh). However like a boot eventually they wear to your head. Cables going is one of things you can't mitigate for tbh. The Siberias have a detachable extension cord which alleviate a certain amount of risk though.

Agreed on Fatalities, one of the worst purchases I've ever made.

Originally Posted by 7hink

For actual headsets the only ones I can truly recommend (from personal experience) are the Beyerdynamic MMX300 and the Sennheiser PC360. Those are far above the OPs budget though.

Obvious downside is that they'd leave you needing a mic (assuming you actually want one). I've not really found a good solution to the mic thing - I wear an old headset around my neck and use the mic from that, but it doesn't work very well. However, I don't find myself using it very often anyway, which is why I've never really put any effort into finding a better solution.

As someone who has been forced to sit on Mumble / TS with people who have voice activated desk mics all I'll say in NO NO NO!. If you're a push to talk guy then go for it, or if you don't use voice comms very often then again I agree with Heliocentric that you'll likely get a much better set of headphones for your money and a desk mic will be ok

Oh, god yes, push to talk, I have a family, I'm not airing my entire life just because I've passed a certain sound threshold.

I enjoy my Razer Orca and Razer Megalodon. They both have excellent audio quality.

Oh man I hated my Megalodon headset. There wasn't enough padding on the headband so it basically hammered into my skull all the time. Audio quality seemed about on par or slightly better than my old G35s, which for better or worse I absolutely adored and kept until they basically fell apart. But the G35s had weird driver issues where some games would suddenly have the sound cut out whenever a reverb effect was playing.

I currently use a set of Sennheiser HD215s headphones. I don't talk in online games that much so I don't have a mic (though I miss having a boom mic simply for convenience) and I find the quality reasonable for the price. That said, if I wasn't often listening to music, I don't think they'd offer that much of a significant advantage over a gaming headphone set.

For what it's worth, the 5.1 "surround" settings on gaming headsets (the ones that use software, not multiple drivers which sound terrible) do sort of work, but depending on your soundcard or even the game itself it may be able to virtualise this anyway.

In any event the headset that sounds right and is comfortable for you is the one you should go with... definitely listen to the suggestions here but don't just pick a headset because someone tells you it sounds better than X for $n more.

Now here's the deal - I am well aware that proper headphone companies produce a much better product than "gaming" ones do. as i mentioned in my original post, they also tend to be quite more expensive. Thing is, it'll be my b-day soonish and my wife was wondering what to get me, as i said our current budget is about 100 euros.
Some more info on the situation/needs - My PC is in the living room, right next to the wife's PC. We usually play together, except that she doesn't play any shooters so i play that on my own. There's also the TV in the room, with the kid watching TV/Movies on it in the evening. All's fine when playing some strategy, quest or even RPG, even if the wife's playing/watching something else next to me and the kid's watching tv, but once you get into something like BF3 or similar the sound levels mixing gets seriously annoying for everyone so in the end everyone ends up lowering the sound to a minimum. Not that's it's CRITICAL, i don't play on a professional level, but it does cut back quite a bit on the experience. I currently have the Fatal1ty headset which i bought without much thought, and i am kinda sorry about it - as others have said, it is uncomfortable, the sound is not that amazing.

With all that said, i thought about using the opportunity (my b-day) to "upgrade" my headphones. I also thought it would be nice to be able to play with some sort of real surround, so that's how i ended up looking at "gaming" headphones that do 5.1. I ain't got a real soundcard, i am using my onboard sound with a 2.1 BOSE system.

As for communications - i don't really use TS anymore, i did use it back in my WoW days, but lately i've been off MMOs. I do use Skype sometimes with my friends when playing Diablo, but that won't last much longer. Anyways, the microphone part is not a priority for me. If i was to get some music headphones, i could always buy some cheap desk mic et voila.

About the gaming headphones - I am cautious about these, that's why i started this thread (and others on other forums). The thing that kind of encouraged me was a review on tom'sguide that says that the Logitech G35 are actually quite good on terms of quality, comfort and sound. And that the 5.1 does make a difference.
Thing is, if i don't get some 5.1 headphones, i might just as well not bother with spending money on new headphones since i don't use them all that much.

And lastly, about music headphones - some months ago, when i got my wife an Yamaha DGX 640, we decided she would need some proper headphones if she was to play it a lot. We ended up choosing the Sennheiser HD 518 as the best money/quality solution. They are in the budget too, so i guess if we don't get me some "gaming headset" and still decide to stick with a headphones gift we might go for them, since we've already done a bit of research about them. Opinions?

In that case (i.e not needing the mic) I'd recomend going for a pair of headphones rather than a headset. The HD518s which you've already looked and or the HD555s are both in your budget and either would both be good purchases.

One slight caveat is that they're "open" headphones - which means they'll "leak" a fair bit of sound. (i.e. people in the room will be able to hear your headphones). Though unless they're trying to watch a really quiet film, or you have them cranked up stupidly high, it shouldn't be a problem